


Pole Position

by roe87



Series: Shrunkyclunks au's [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Beefy Bucky Barnes, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Dancing Lessons, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pole Dancer Bucky Barnes, Pole Dancing, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Shrunkyclunks, Shy Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-15 12:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19295485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/pseuds/roe87
Summary: "I've signed you up to a pole dancing class," Natasha told him.Steve had no idea what that meant. "What's pole dancing?" he asked."You'll see," Natasha answered with a sly smile. "And wait till you see the instructor. He's cute."





	1. Step One

 

 

 

"I've signed you up to a few things to compliment your training," Natasha said, sipping on her coffee after their post morning workout.

"I didn't know my training needed the compliments," Steve quipped.

Surprisingly, Natasha smiled. She was one of the few people who seemed to find Steve's sense of humor amusing.

Or maybe she was laughing at him, who knew.

"We'll continue our morning training sessions," she went on. "I want you to try out different techniques and see what comes naturally. You have a very unique way of moving, Steve."

"Yeah, I've been told that before." Steve smiled wryly, twisting his coffee cup around on the table.

They were sitting in the employees only coffee place next to the SHIELD gym. It meant they could relax straight after a workout.

"Have you had any dance training?" Nat asked.

"Not that I know of," Steve admitted. "In the Army I got told I run funny."

"It's not funny," Nat replied, "it's just unusual if you aren't a dancer. You move differently to most guys of your weight and size."

"I wasn't always this weight and size," Steve reminded her.

"But they just put you through regular Army training, right?"

"That's right."

Natasha nodded. "So, other than training with me, I want to expand your horizons a bit. I've signed you up for some things that I think could benefit you in the field. Gymnastics with an Olympic level athlete in their personal gym uptown."

Steve nodded in appraisal. "Alright. Sounds good."

"Some Parkour lessons, from a world famous tutor."

"Uh, I'll have to look that up."

"It's like, running up walls," Nat explained. "I think you'd excel at Parkour, actually."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Yeah, a ton of stuff." She chuckled. "I'll email you the details. Some introductory classes to see what you like. Something to help you unwind, so some Yoga, Tai Chi, and a Pilates class."

"That sounds good."

"Oh, and I also signed you up for a pole dancing class."

Steve had no idea what that could mean. "What's pole dancing?"

"You'll see," Natasha answered with a sly smile. "And wait till you see the instructor. He's cute."

"Um," Steve said, floundering.

He was still getting used to talking openly about his preferences, and so far he'd only let slip to Natasha that he was also interested in men.

"It'll be fun, trust me," she said. "I go there too. Great for strengthening your core muscles, and it's a social class as much as anything so it's a great way to meet new people."

"You want me to flirt with him," Steve said flatly.

Natasha tried to hide her smile behind her coffee cup. "Maybe. You do you."

"So what exactly is pole dancing?"

"This is what Google is for, Steve," she said primly. "Your class is on Thursday evening. I'll pick you up because my class is on at the same time and I want to make sure you get there."

"We'll be in the same class?"

"No, I'm in the advanced class," she said, with a toss of her hair. "You'll be in the beginners. But trust me on this, I think it'll be good for you."

"Alright." Steve shrugged a shoulder.

How bad could it be?

 

 

Nat picked him up from his apartment on Thursday night, and drove them across town to a small studio that seemed very modern and hip.

Upon walking into the tiny reception area, it felt more like a dance studio than a gym. Steve's head turned as a couple women walked past, wearing tight and revealing gym clothes.

Music filtered in from down the halls, different sounds of upbeat pop music. As Natasha spoke to the receptionist, Steve looked around at the walls, bemused at the pictures on display.

The studio's logo, lit up on one whole wall of the reception, seemed to be a pink, sparkly silhouette of a woman holding a long spear, or javelin.

Steve tilted his head as he looked at the picture. Something about it didn't add up.

"Thank you, Ms Romanov, you're all booked in," the receptionist said brightly. "Yelena's class is in the velvet lounge this evening, and James's class is in the glitterball studio."

"Thank you," Natasha said, as Steve spotted the framed photos on the wall behind reception: scantily clad women, and men, wrapped around shiny metal poles in all sorts of positions.

Oh, Steve thought.

 _Oh_.

Natasha turned to him and must've noticed the look on his face, as she took his elbow and gently ushered him to a corner.

"Now, Steve," she said quietly, as two very busty women strolled past. Steve tried to keep his eyes on Natasha. "You have to trust me on this."

"Pole dancing?" Steve hissed at her, trying to keep his voice down. "Is this like those poles in Tony's private jet that he makes the stewardesses shimmy round?"

Natasha opened her mouth, paused, then hummed lightly. "I forgot you saw that. Look, Steve, this is a dance studio. They focus primarily on the technique here, and it's very athletic."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it can be." Natasha smiled smugly. "If you do well in this class, maybe you can join me in the advanced classes."

Steve swallowed. "Look, Nat... I don't know about this. Won't people make fun of me?"

"No," she said firmly. "This is a very popular way to keep fit now. Besides, you're in a mixed class, and the instructor is a world champion."

"World champion at what?"

Natasha gave him a flat look. "At pole dancing, Steve."

"Oh. Really?" Steve would definitely have to Google this later. "They have championships for pole dancing?"

"All the instructors here are hot stuff," Nat assured him.

"So why is he doing a beginner's class?"

"Your class is special," Nat said, "it's high profile clients only. He's very discreet and this studio has NDA's coming out of its ears. I promise, just relax and have a good time. You're in safe hands."

"Uh, alright," Steve said, somewhat mollified. "What's high profile, exactly? I'm not gonna get in there and see a senator dancing, am I?"

Natasha broke into a laugh, and tried to cover it up. "I don't think so. It's usually people like actors or reality stars. And it's a small class, don't worry."

"I'm not worrying," Steve defended, "I'm just... I don't know."

Nat put a hand on his arm, looking into his eyes. "Steve. Trust me."

Steve made himself smile. "Okay. I'll give it a shot."

"That's all I ask," she said sweetly, then checked her watch. "Your class should be starting now. I'll walk you to the studio."

She led him down the hall, and Steve trailed along behind, busy gazing at more framed photos on the walls of various dancers balancing in mid air off of shiny poles. It looked more like gymnastics or circus style tricks to Steve.

Come to think of it, he did remember seeing something like that at Coney Island once. There'd been so much to look at, but he definitely remembered the various acrobatic tricks.

He'd been so jealous at the time, wishing he'd had the strength to try something like that.

Well.

Here he was.

The closed door up ahead had a plaque that said _Glitterball Studio_ , but before Natasha reached it, it was opened by a man.

"Two minutes!" he called into the room, then turned to them with a smile. "Oh, hey!"

He was absolutely gorgeous. Dark, shoulder length hair framed his face, and he had a dusting of stubble on his perfect jawline.

"Nat, hey." He smiled at her, then at Steve. "You guys in my class?"

"Steve is," Natasha said cheerily. "I'm in Yelena's tonight."

"Right, of course! Awesome, in that case..." He gestured to the room behind him as he smiled at Steve. "Go grab a pole, okay? But don't do anything until I'm back in the room, because insurance. I'll be two seconds!"

"Okay," Steve said, watching as the guy jogged off down the hall. He was in tight workout clothes, and Steve couldn't tear his eyes away.

"That's James," Nat whispered, getting Steve's attention. "Have fun, Steve."

Steve looked back at her with a pleading expression. "But... what if I do something stupid?"

"Steve," Natasha sighed, and pushed him firmly toward the door. "Get in there, and have fun."

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Step Two

 

 

 

Steve entered the studio with his eyes on the hardwood floor, too shy to look up.

It was bright like a ballet studio, he supposed, and there was one wall of mirror. But there was no barre, only poles set into the floor and ceiling.

Steve edged his way into the room, hoping no one would recognise him. There were three people already there, chatting quietly and standing next to the pole of their choice, it seemed. Steve glanced at them, a little relieved he wasn't the only guy here.

He shuffled his way to what he hoped was the back of the room, dumped his bag there and deliberated over removing his sweatshirt. He just wasn't sure what they'd be doing, so he decided to keep it on for now.

He chose a pole near the back, hoping no one would look at him. He tried not to look at his reflection in the mirror, and instead examined the pole in front of him.

Standard fixtures, he noticed, and reached out one hand to test it. The pole was more stable than it looked, but Steve didn't want to put his entire weight on it.

This was a bad idea, he thought.

Then the instructor jogged back into the room, holding a bottle of water in his hand. "Okay, party people!" he called, closing the door behind him. "We're all here now, so let's get started."

He stood at the front of the room and flashed a brilliant smile. "I'm James, but you can call me Bucky. This is the beginner's class, and as it's our first lesson we're just going to limber up and have fun, try out a few moves. Does anyone have any questions before we start?"

Steve instinctively ducked his head down, and no one else seemed to have questions either.

"Okay, great!" James declared. "We're going to warm up first. Go ditch your shoes and socks if you haven't already, and we'll get started."

Steve realised he wasn't prepared, and quietly hurried over to his bag so he could toe off his sneakers and socks. He removed his sweatshirt too.

At least warmups were easy, he thought. He could handle a warmup.

James "call me Bucky" had them do some stretches to a peppy music tune. Steve tried to concentrate but, well. Bucky was very cute, and his friendly banter was cute too. Steve didn't understand all the references Bucky made as they did their warmups (he had no idea who Jane Fonda was, or why he kept saying _work_ ) but at least the warmup routine was straightforward and simple.

If they could just do that for the duration of the class, Steve would feel happier. He side eyed his shiny pole with unease.

Then the dreaded moment arrived.

Bucky turned off the music and told them to get acquainted with their pole.

"Can I give mine a name?" one girl asked with a giggle.

"Sure!" Bucky replied. "Why not? Now, everyone's got a dominant left or right hand, and mine happens to be right." He demonstrated by grasping his pole with his right hand. "We're gonna start most of the moves right handed, but I'll switch it up later for left-handers. Any lefties here?"

Steve felt a rush of heat to his face, and studiously looked at the floor because he didn't want to admit he was left handed.

"Okay," Bucky said, "well, we're gonna learn both ways, so it shouldn't matter too much. You could still be right side dominant even if you're left handed."

Steve felt a grain of hope at that. He'd always been told being left handed was bad.

"Hand up here, everyone," Bucky instructed, facing the class.

They all copied his move, grasping the pole with their right hands. Steve tried to be gentle about it.

"Take a walk around the pole," Bucky said, and began a seductive walk as he hung off the pole with his hand.

Steve's brain nearly shorted out. How was he supposed to focus? This was thoroughly unfair.

He tried to copy the move along with the class, and felt ridiculous and also kind of exhilarated.

This was way more interesting than he thought it'd be.

"Get to know your pole," Bucky said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Don't be shy." He flipped his head to one side, his long hair flicking out.

A couple people whooped, and copied the move while laughing. Steve did a small head toss, just to join in.

"That's it, have fun with your pole," Bucky encouraged, looking around at them. Then his eyes fell on Steve, and Steve instantly felt guilty for not trying harder.

Except Bucky didn't call him out, he simply moved on.

"Let's try our first spin. Keep your right hand up high, place your left hand lower down on the pole, just here." He showed them what to do, keeping his body close to the pole. "Lock your elbows, lift up your knees and use gravity to spin you around the pole. All you gotta do is hold on. Watch."

Steve watched with interest as Bucky pushed off the floor with one foot, tucking his knees up and doing a slow, easy rotation around the pole.

He set his feet down and straightened up as he came back round. "See? Nice and simple. Ready to try?"

The other class members cheered and whooped, but Steve remained quiet. He had visions in his head of ripping the pole out of place, and he was panicking over it.

Bucky showed them the move again, and Steve tried his best to copy but he was too worried about the pole to do it properly.

The other members of the class threw themselves around the pole with varying degrees of success, laughing about it. Bucky was encouraging, and showed them the move again.

Steve hoped his fumbling was going unnoticed, but they were only a class of four, and Bucky's gaze lingered on him a couple times.

Steve hadn't felt this useless and unsure of himself since first coming out of the ice.

"Alright, class," Bucky called out, "next move. Another easy one. Watch me." He set his right hand high on the pole, then hitched his right leg up and hooked his knee onto the pole.

Steve tried not to stare at the plump curves of Bucky's ass, and instead focus on his words.

"Pretty much the same as before," Bucky explained. "You push forward with your foot, let gravity move you around the pole in one rotation only." He showed them the move smoothly, and he made it seem very easy.

Steve watched, and considered that maybe he could try this one. More of his weight would be centred on the pole rather than hanging off of it.

He took a fortifying breath, and prepared himself.

"Alright, you guys try it," Bucky said, watching as they all had a turn.

Steve tried it, and amazingly it went okay. He was able to hold himself up with his hand, and his knee bent around the pole kept him centred.

It was actually easier than he thought it'd be.

The others did okay too, laughing about it and generally having fun.

"Good," Bucky called out, watching them and moving around the room. "Great, try it again." He watched as Steve did another spin, and was still watching when Steve finished and stood back up. "Great work," he said, looking directly at Steve. "Awesome job."

Steve grinned, beaming under the praise.

"Keep it going, everyone!" Bucky clapped his hands, inspecting the rest of the class. "Have a couple more turns, then we're gonna switch to the left hand. Keep it up."

 

 

Surprisingly, Steve enjoyed the class.

Like, a lot.

He supposed he was lucky that he'd already had a gymnastics session this week, so the whole balance and core thing was starting to make more sense to him now.

The class was over so soon, and Bucky said they should applaud themselves for a great first class. Steve joined in with the clapping, feeling pretty happy with himself too. He had a big smile on his face, and now he was looking forward to the next class in a week.

The other members went to put their shoes on, chatting amiably and stopping to thank Bucky as they filtered out the room.

Steve shoved his shoes on too, and got his stuff together.

He was pulling on his sweatshirt when Bucky strolled up to him.

"How was your first class?" he asked, smiling brightly.

Steve fumbled with his sweatshirt, yanking it into place. "Um, yeah, great!" he replied, gazing into Bucky's pale blue eyes. "I thought I'd be terrible."

"No, far from it," Bucky said easily. "If you already have upper body strength, you have a headstart. All you gotta learn now is technique."

Steve nodded, thrilled they were having a conversation. "That makes sense."

"You taking any other classes?" Bucky asked, tilting his head as he looked at Steve.

"Um, yeah a few," Steve admitted.

"Like what?"

"Well, uh, martial arts, gymnastics, and some Tai Chi later this week."

Bucky nodded slowly. "That's good. Your core is already very strong, Steve. To be honest, I think you'd benefit more from a one on one class, something a bit more advanced."

"Oh?" Steve said, his voice hitching a bit. He cleared his throat. "I, um... yeah?"

"It's totally your call," Bucky told him. "But this class will have a lot of time spent on goofing around so people get used to using muscles they don't normally use, and doing all the flirty bits on the pole." Bucky grinned, and Steve found himself smiling in turn. "Some people prefer a class, some prefer one on one."

Steve didn't know what to say, his brain was skipping like a record needle on _one on one_ , and imagining himself alone with Bucky.

He nodded in lieu of words, and Bucky was still smiling at him.

"You can have a think about it," he said. "If you want to continue with the group class, totally fine. But there's plenty of advanced classes I think you'd be great in. Chinese pole, for a start."

"Chinese pole?" Steve repeated.

"It's way advanced," Bucky said. "Melinda who teaches it is awesome too."

"Oh. You don't teach it?" Steve blurted out.

"No, I teach classes with this pole." Bucky gestured at the room behind him. "Beginners, or advanced."

"And, um, one to one?" Steve asked, because God help him, he was very attracted to Bucky.

"Yeah, I teach one to one," he replied, grinning wide. "If you want, next week I can book out this room after the class is over and go through some advanced moves with you. It's totally your call."

"Um, yeah!" Steve agreed. "That would be great."

"Awesome! Okay, so, speak on Gail at reception on your way out," Bucky said, "and she'll hook you up. See you next week!"

"Uh, okay," Steve said, as Bucky gave him a wave and jogged off.

Huh.

Steve picked up his bag and left the room as new students filed in, chattering excitedly.

Had they been flirting? Steve wondered. He'd thought they'd been flirting. Now he wasn't sure.

Seems like he'd just been hustled to pay for an extra class.

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Step Three

 

 

 

The next day, after a training exercise with the Avengers team, Tony gave Steve a big parcel and muttered something about, "Welcome to the future, Cap," before clomping off in his armored suit.

Steve figured it was Tony's way of offering an olive branch, and when Steve got back to the New York SHIELD HQ with Nat and Clint, he sat in a quiet locker room and opened his gift.

It was a lot of electronic gadgets, as far as Steve could tell. Including a brand new StarkPad.

There was a note on the StarkPad, in messy handwriting, saying that it was already set up and fully charged.

Steve turned it on, mostly bemused because he already had a Smartphone and was using it just fine, thanks, Tony. But when he saw that the homepage of the StarkPad was set up with apps, a lot of which Steve had been meaning to check out but simply hadn't gotten around to yet, he appreciated the gesture.

YouTube caught his eye, and Steve opened the app. He had his first Tai Chi class tomorrow morning, and Steve entered _Tai Chi_ into the search. It brought up a lot of videos, some tutorials and some more aesthetic videos too.

This was clearly going to be a useful app, Steve thought.

Then, as he was alone, he typed in _Bucky, pole dancing_.

There were videos, a lot of them. Steve scrolled down the thumbnails, reading their titles: Bucky's pole tips and tricks, Bucky's polerobics, 2009 world pole dance championships, Bucky Barnes world champion 2010...

It went on and on. Steve clicked on the video that said world champion 2010, and watched a video of Bucky on a blue lit stage, propelling himself around a long silver pole at a rate of knots. The backing track was fun and upbeat, with Bucky kicking out his legs in time to the beats, and dancing around and around the pole mixing in athletic moves worthy of the Olympics.

Steve was impressed.

When the video ended, he watched another. Steve was not only awed by Bucky's strength and sheer grace of movement, but also his versatility with performance: from one fast paced and flirty number, to a slower and more sombre dance, almost balletic in the moves as he worked himself around the pole.

Steve was staring so intently at the screen that he jumped in alarm when the locker room door burst open.

"Hey!" Clint greeted, then started laughing. "Oh, sorry! Watching porn?"

"What? No," Steve defended, clutching the StarkPad close to his chest. "I'm not watching porn."

Clint stood there with a shit eating grin. "Yeah, you are. You look guilty as hell."

"It's not porn."

"So what is it?" Clint cupped a hand to his ear. "I hear a woman's voice."

"That's the backing track," Steve said. "It's, um..." He trailed off, unsure how to explain.

"C'mon, show me." Clint came over to the bench and sat down next to him. "I won't tell a soul."

Steve sighed, and lowered his StarkPad. Clint leaned in to watch the video, currently showing Bucky perform a slow and perfectly balanced twirl around the pole while upside down.

Clint snorted lightly, but he was grinning. "This is totally porn."

"No, it's not," Steve argued. "It's dance."

"On a pole."

"It's not porn."

"But it sorta is," Clint said, still watching the screen. He whistled under his breath. "Now that is an abs crunch."

Steve nodded in agreement as they watched the video. "See, it's not porn," he insisted.

Clint hummed like he disagreed, but he was busy watching the screen. "Damn, what a move," he chuckled. "I knew a girl who could dance like this back in the circus. She could get her leg right up here..." Clint pulled his leg up to demonstrate, as Steve looked at him quizzically.

Natasha chose that moment to walk in on them, raising an eyebrow as she looked between Clint and Steve.

"Oh, hey." Clint smiled at her, casually lowering his leg to cross over the other. "Just having a stretch."

Nat's lips twitched into a small smile. "What're you boys watching?"

Steve quickly backed out of the app, but Clint blew his cover by answering, "A guy pole dancing."

Nat's half smile became a full blown grin. "Oh, really?"

Steve sighed. He half expected Natasha to tease him in front of Clint, but she didn't say a word. She strolled up to him and silently gestured for the StarkPad.

Steve handed it over, watching as she entered something in then handed it back to him.

"Come on, Clint," she said pointedly. "Hill wants you for a briefing."

"Lucky me." Clint chuckled, and got to his feet. He clapped Steve on the shoulder. "See you later, Cap."

Natasha herded Clint out of the room, and threw Steve a smile over her shoulder as she left.

Steve looked at what she'd brought up on the StarkPad: YouTube video results showing something about _Stepping Up_. Steve didn't know what that was, but it looked dance-y. He absently scrolled down the thumbnails, then spotted one titled _Bucky Barnes_ _scene_.

Steve clicked on it.

It looked like a scene from a movie, or a musical. And that was definitely Bucky, Steve thought, watching a much younger and slimmer Bucky with short hair dancing about in some sort of urban dance studio.

Steve had no idea what was happening other than two different dance groups were competing against each other. They were in street clothes too, and it wasn't a style of dance he was familiar with.

It looked fun, though.

He watched a few more videos, smiling at how young and sweet Bucky looked on the closeups of him. Then he decided to use Google to figure out what this movie was called.

The Internet was so helpful. Now Steve knew that Bucky had been in three of these dance movies, which had been popular a few years ago with audiences but had received less than stellar critical acclaim.

Steve decided he'd go home and watch movies for the rest of the day. He was still on his acclimatisation period, under Fury's suggestion, so Steve didn't feel too guilty about sneaking off.

He got changed into his civvies, boxed up his goodies and headed down to the garage.

Natasha materialised out of nowhere as he was walking down a hallway, falling into step beside him.

"Where are you off to?" she asked.

"Hey," Steve said, as she smiled at him. "I'm, uh, headed home."

"To watch movies?" she teased.

Steve smiled, fighting a blush. "Maybe."

"We haven't had a chance to talk about how your class went," Natasha said.

"Which one?"

"Don't try to play innocent with me, Rogers. You know which one."

An image of Bucky on the pole flashed in Steve's mind. "Um, yes," he fumbled. "It was great. I, uh, he asked if I wanted to have a one to one class next week."

"Hold up." Nat touched his arm to get him to stop walking. She actually looked surprised. "He asked if you wanted a one to one?"

"What?" Steve asked, shifting the box in his hands. "Is that bad?"

"No, it's good!" Natasha smiled, positively beaming. "This is good news."

"Oh. Why?"

"Steve." She slipped an arm around his back and started walking again. "I just want you to make some friends here. Friends who aren't in SHIELD."

"Why not in SHIELD?"

"It's not healthy to only socialise at work," Nat said quietly. "That is, if you do decide you want to work with us."

"I like you and Clint," Steve replied, "but I'm still undecided about SHIELD."

"Understandable," Nat said, as they approached the hall leading to the garage. "This is why you should have friends who aren't in SHIELD. Or who knows," she shot him a sidelong grin, "maybe someone who could be more than friends."

Steve smiled and shook his head. "Let's not get carried away. I haven't even been on a date with anyone yet."

They reached the garage entrance, and Steve swiped his card to get in.

"A little advice about dating, Steve." Nat leaned against the open doorway. "It's a lot more casual these days. Hanging out and grabbing a coffee together is the new having dinner. So, my advice? Be open to new things. See what happens."

Steve nodded at her. "Okay. I'll try."

"Good." She pushed off the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow for your training."

"Yeah," Steve said, then called after her, "Hey, Nat?" She paused and turned round. Steve smiled at her. "Thanks."

She returned his smile, almost shyly. "My pleasure." Then she headed back down the hall. "Enjoy those movies!" she called.

Steve ducked his head as he chuckled, and walked to where his bike was parked.

"I intend to," he said to himself.

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Step Four

 

 

 

 

Steve's next pole dancing class went a lot better than the first one.

It may have been all the additional training he'd been having, or simply that now Steve wasn't as terrified of the pole, but he was so excited to be there.

And, he had to admit, he was excited to see Bucky again too.

As the class started and Bucky greeted them (wearing more cute gym clothes and a top that said _What A Feeling_ ), Steve threw himself into the new moves they were taught, some quite literally. As long as he stayed close to the pole, Steve felt confident he wouldn't rip it out of place.

First they did some shimmying up the pole, like a koala up a tree, as Bucky called it. That was fine, Steve could do that.

Then they had to cross one leg over the other in order to hang onto the pole. Steve followed the next instruction to take his hands off the pole and lean his upper body back. They practised this move a couple times.

Bucky walked around the class, offering advice and helping them out. Steve waited for his turn, and when Bucky approached him and looked him over he smiled and said, "Good work."

Steve smiled, and grabbed onto the pole again. He was thrilled he'd done well, and they went through the next couple moves with ease.

Bucky had shown them some moves with their feet on the floor too, walking around the pole and striking a pose. Now he told them they had to incorporate one or two pole tricks into a short routine of their own.

Steve felt pretty confident he could pull it off.

Bucky put the music on, and told them to work on a routine by themselves for a few minutes. Steve got to work, trying not to watch the other members of the class. He focused on his pole trick, choosing to stay on the ground and grasp the pole, then draw his knees up for one slow rotation.

All he had to do was hold on, essentially.

Bucky was walking around the class, watching them work and offering advice. Steve was a little distracted listening to Bucky's voice, wondering if he'd come over and talk to him.

Steve kept doing his one trick round the pole, practising.

When Bucky stopped by him to watch, Steve stalled.

"Let's see what you got," Bucky said, indicating with his finger in a twirly motion.

Steve nodded, and performed his trick. When he set his feet back on the ground he looked at Bucky expectantly, but instead of offering praise, Bucky pressed his lips together.

"This seems a little easy for you, Steve," he said, stepping closer. "Let me show you something I think you could try."

"Uh..." Steve let go of the pole immediately, feeling a blush heat his cheeks. "Okay?"

"Scoot back." Bucky wiggled his fingers at Steve. "A little more. Okay, watch."

Bucky reached up to grab the pole, hoisting himself off the floor and kicked his legs up in a standard scissor kick. It was so fluid and yet so simple, Steve felt ashamed for not having tried something more exciting himself.

Once Bucky set his feet back on the floor, he smiled at Steve. "Think you can give it a go?"

"Yeah, okay." Steve forced a smile, and moved in on the pole. He grasped it, then looked down at his legs trying to figure out the best way to attempt the move without breaking the pole.

"It's all upper body," Bucky advised. "If you're holding on, that's the important part. You wanna yank yourself up, and tilt your pelvis to whichever side you wanna turn. Legs out straight, point your toes, step back onto the ground. Easy."

"Okay," Steve murmured, nodding. "I'll try."

Bucky stepped back to watch, and Steve pulled himself up.

The pulling up was the easy part, but sticking his legs out gracefully? Not so much.

Steve flailed a bit, and set himself back on the floor. "Um, I just gotta practice."

"Just think of your legs moving like a wave," Bucky said, coming back to the pole. Steve stepped aside to let him have room. "You know, like at sports games? One leg up first, followed by the other. Nice, easy motion." He performed the move again, and Steve watched closely. "Practice makes perfect." He gave Steve a reassuring smile.

Steve laughed wryly. "Okay, I'll practice."

"Good." Bucky smiled warmly at him, making Steve blush hard, then he moved onto the next student.

Steve blew out a breath quietly as he got himself together, and looked up at the pole. "Practice makes perfect," he muttered.

 

 

Steve had just about got the hang of it, when Bucky announced that they were going to perform their mini routine to the rest of the class.

Steve felt his heart almost skip a beat.

Oh, no.

He hadn't prepared himself for that. Flashbacks to basic training and getting stuck in the obstacle course nets while the other guys laughed at him swam through Steve's head.

Don't panic, he told himself, as his heartrate picked up. He tried to use the breathing techniques he'd been taught in the Yoga and Tai Chi classes, and Natasha's training too.

This was the last thing Steve felt like doing, but he didn't run away or curl into a ball, instead he watched with quiet horror as the first member of the class performed a short routine on their pole.

Everyone watched as she did a sassy strut around the pole, flicking her hair about, before attempting a spin with her leg.

It wasn't amazing, but she did it.

"Awesome, great job!" Bucky called out, and clapped his hands.

The class whooped and cheered, applauding too. They were having fun, and Steve relaxed minutely as the happy atmosphere won him over.

They were all beginners, and it definitely showed, but the class was clearly having the best time trying it out. When it came to Steve's turn, he gritted his teeth and performed his trick.

He completely forgot about doing a walk around the pole or even smiling because he was nervous.

Bucky praised him all the same, leading the applause when Steve was done. "Great leg work!" he called out, and Steve exhaled in relief.

Finally it was over.

The class was nearly over too, and Bucky led them through their warmdown exercises, getting them to do a little shimmy dance around the pole to finish off.

"Great class, everyone!" he called, wrapping things up. "Make sure you drink some water, and I'll see you next week!"

The class dispersed, but Steve lingered by his bag at the side of the room. He sipped at his water bottle, trying not to be obvious that he was watching Bucky say goodbye to each of the students as they left the room.

Then it was just the two of them left, and Bucky shut the door.

"Hey," he said, smiling at Steve as he padded into the center of the room. "So, we have the room booked for another hour."

Steve tossed his water back into his bag and walked over to Bucky, feeling shy. "Yeah, um... I'm sorry I sucked today."

"You didn't suck," Bucky told him, smiling brightly.

He was so attractive, Steve really didn't know what to do with himself.

"Well, thanks," he mumbled, smiling back.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Bucky said, reaching out to grasp a pole, "but a class environment seems to make you self conscious?"

Steve ducked his head. "Yeah, a bit."

"Okay, well, it's just us now."

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Step Five

 

 

 

 

"Grab the pole next to me," Bucky instructed.

Steve did as Bucky told him and mirrored his standing position by the pole.

"We're gonna do a few of the moves you already know," Bucky said, adjusting his stance, "and learn a few transitions into them, too. Okay?"

"Yeah." Steve smiled, excited to have Bucky all to himself. "I'm ready."

Bucky smiled back at him. "Just copy what I do."

They went through some basic spins and holds, all of which Steve was fine with because he could stay pretty close to the pole. He'd learned the tricks already but now Bucky started hammering him on his technique, focusing entirely on Steve and telling him to use his core, center his landing leg, point his toes, and lots more critique that had Steve almost breaking a sweat due to nerves.

"Have you done any ballet?" Bucky asked, leaning on his pole with such easy confidence.

"Um, no?" Steve said. "Should I?"

"Ballet is great for core balance," Bucky said. "Or you could focus on your Yoga and Tai Chi classes, because those would help, too."

Steve nodded, ducking his head. "Am I that bad?"

"No, not even," Bucky assured him, leaning to the side as he hung off the pole, long hair swishing out. "You seem a bit scared of the pole, that's all."

"Uh, well..." Steve's hands dropped from the pole automatically, fidgeting at his sides. "I just don't want to rip it out of the ceiling."

"If you know how to control your core, your weight or strength won't be a problem," Bucky said. To prove his point he grabbed onto his pole and raised his legs up behind him so his body was held at a perfect right angle. Steve watched, admiring the display of strength before Bucky dropped down gracefully to the floor again.

He looked at Steve expectantly, and Steve placed his index finger on his chest. "Uh, me?"

"Give it a try!" Bucky grinned at him. "C'mon. I'll help you."

"Oh, jeez," Steve murmured, and went to place his hands on the pole. "I'm just worried about your fixtures, Bucky. I don't want to break anything."

"I think you're worrying too much," Bucky insisted, and gestured to Steve to adjust his stance. "Feet further apart. You're going to push up into your dominant side and lean into your hold on the pole."

"Uh..." Steve gazed up at the pole. "Um, not to sound like an idiot, but..." He looked at Bucky, unsure. "You do know who I am, right?"

Bucky blinked back at him, then broke into an amused smile. "Yes, Captain, I do know who you are."

"Oh." Steve's cheeks burned. "I, uh, I only mean... I'm stronger than, you know, most people. I don't want to wreck your studio."

"While I appreciate the concern," Bucky replied, "I'm more than one hundred per cent certain that Natasha and my insurance would take care of any property damage, so I'm not worried. And if you think you being a celebrity means I'll go easy on you, you've got another thing coming, pal."

Steve laughed at that, and felt a little reassured. "Well, it's your funeral."

Bucky laughed too. "C'mon, Steve. It'll be fine. Maybe try this move first." He walked to a free pole and set his hands in the ten to two position. "Grip the pole, kick both feet upward in a firm move."

Steve watched as Bucky performed the trick, holding onto the pole and kicking up with his legs together then dropping back down.

Bucky landed so gently, he barely made a sound, and Steve wanted to master that, he really did. He also conceded that this move may be within his bumbling capabilities, as he wouldn't be in the air for very long which meant the pole was safe.

"Okay," he said, copying the position and bracing himself. "Here goes." Steve held on and kicked up, surprising himself with how far up he went so fast: being virtually upside down if only for a moment was worrying, because he didn't want the pole to rip out of its fittings.

But then he dropped back into a standing position, still gripping the pole and relieved he hadn't broken it.

"Okay, not bad," Bucky said, moving in closer. "You pushed too hard, Steve, your feet aren't supposed to be on the ceiling for this move."

"Sorry." Steve smiled wryly. "I forget my own strength."

"Use your core muscles." Bucky indicated his own flat stomach. "You're pushing off with your dominant foot, but then your core is doing all the work here. Your hands are only holding the pole. Like a handstand, basically."

"Uh... right."

"When's the last time you did a handstand?" Bucky asked.

"Do backflips count?"

"Not really," Bucky said. "This isn't about speed, it's about teaching you how to control your core." He pointed to the wall that didn't have a mirror on it. "Up against the wall, Steve."

"Okay," Steve murmured, feeling like a naughty kid. "So, you want me to do a handstand?"

"Yes," Bucky said, crossing his arms to observe. "Do a handstand against the wall. Try not to crash through it and disturb the other class."

Steve barked a laugh, both amused and worried that that could actually happen. "Um, right," he said tentatively, looking at the wall. He took a couple steps back.

God, he hoped that wall wasn't thin.

Steve spread his hands out ready for a handstand, and stepped forward onto them, tipping his body up and up. His feet hit the wall, and he held a secure handstand with no mishaps.

Steve looked at Bucky, upside down. "How'd I do?"

"Fine, but too fast," Bucky said. "I want you to try do it slower."

"Slower, right." Steve pushed off the wall to get himself upright, then tried again.

Now he'd done it once, the movement came easy and Steve had more control over it. He held the handstand in the air for a long moment, then touched one foot to the wall for balance.

"See, that was perfect," Bucky said, as Steve beamed under the praise.

"Thanks," he said, still upside down.

"Okay, come down," Bucky told him. "I want you to do that again but don't lift your feet up more than ninety degrees. Because that's what you need to do on the pole."

Steve nodded, and tried again. He did a slow almost-handstand, then set his feet back down fluidly.

"Great job," Bucky said. "Now, back to the pole."

Steve had to smile. But maybe he wasn't doing so bad after all. He watched Bucky out the corner of his eye as he stood by a pole and waited for Steve.

"Did you do ballet?" Steve asked, curious.

Bucky's lips twitched in a barely there, amused smile. "Some, but I started in gymnastics."

"Yeah, I..." Steve stopped himself from blurting out the rest. _Yeah, I read your Wikipedia page._ Way to go, Steve. 

Bucky raised his eyebrows a little, like he knew anyway.

Steve blushed, and he tried to deflect. "So, how does a guy get from gymnastics to pole dancing?"

Bucky was now clearly fighting a smile. "Maybe I'll tell you after class. C'mon, Steve. Time's ticking."

"Right. Sorry." Steve blushed harder, embarrassed that he'd tried to flirt with the instructor.

"Just like the handstand," Bucky reminded him, and did another demo on his pole to show Steve.

Steve was determined to perform well and redeem himself, so he concentrated and did the move.

The pole didn't break, and Bucky clapped his hands in applause when Steve landed back on the ground.

"Awesome! See? I knew you wouldn't wreck the place."

"Well, wait, there's still time," Steve quipped.

Bucky laughed, a genuine happy laugh, and Steve smiled because he'd done that, he'd made Bucky laugh.

Steve definitely had a crush. He did try to behave like a good pupil through the rest of his class, though.

Bucky said since they'd ventured into handstands they may as well move onto upside down tricks. Steve was wary at first, but the introduction Bucky gave him was moves requiring him to just hold onto the pole and mostly stay still.

Steve felt he could do that, no problem.

After Bucky had walked him through some moves, like doing a handstand against the pole then holding on with his thighs and pulling himself upright, it was soon time for the warmdown.

Steve couldn't believe it'd gone so quickly. He followed the warmdown moves with Bucky, watching him move so fluidly it was almost hypnotic.

Bucky looked round one time and caught Steve staring, which was a little embarrassing but also Steve _did_ have to look at his instructor, right? Yeah, he totally had to look.

If only he could stop blushing so hard every time Bucky looked at him or smiled at him, that'd be swell.

"You did really well tonight, Steve," Bucky told him after. "How did you find the one to one class?"

"Yeah, it was great." Steve nodded, because he had really liked the class and all the extra attention. "It was very helpful."

"You want to book the same for next week?" Bucky asked. "Or think about it?"

"No, I mean, yeah," Steve hurried to say. "I'd like to do the same again. I, um. Yeah, definitely."

Bucky smiled at him fondly, like he found Steve's bumbling awkwardness endearing. "Alright. I guess I'll see you next week, then."

"Wait," Steve said, before Bucky turned away, "you said after the class you'd tell me how, um, you know..."

Bucky tilted his head as he looked at Steve. "How I got from gymnastics to pole dancing?"

"Yeah. I mean... if you want to?"

"Sure." Bucky leaned against one of the poles casually. "One of my straight friends had a birthday party inside a strip club. We'd just turned twenty-one."

Steve nodded, picturing the scene (though he'd never been inside a strip club himself, and Tony's private jet didn't count). "You saw the pole dancing?" he guessed.

Bucky's grey-blue eyes twinkled mischievously as he smiled. "Boy, did I! I thought it looked so cool, I convinced them to let me have a go."

"They let you?"

"Yeah, we were in a private room anyway," Bucky said. "I got up on this tiny stage with a pole, mirrors everywhere. I tipped one of the dancers to show me some moves, and I had such a blast."

Steve smiled, imagining a younger Bucky discovering pole for the first time. "Sounds cute."

Bucky laughed. "Yeah, I guess pole was my whirlwind romance at the time. I ditched gymnastics pretty much right after that and got into contemporary dance and pole instead. And," he said with a grin, "the rest is history."

"Yeah, I... I saw those Step Up movies," Steve admitted.

"Oh, no!" Bucky winced, but he laughed. "Look, it was a job, okay? I needed the money."

"I thought they were fun," Steve assured him. "You looked so young in them."

"I was young, I was barely twenty-two." Bucky smiled, looking at Steve closely. "So. You liked those movies, huh?"

Steve blushed, but he stuck by his admission. "Yeah. I've never seen dancing like that before. It was very energetic."

"That's one word for them," Bucky said dryly. "You know there's stage productions that show modern dance, right? It's like theater but dancing. There's some good shows on Broadway, if you're into that..."

Steve held his breath, certain that Bucky was about to ask him out.

"I can write down some recommendations if you want to check them out?" Bucky said instead.

"Oh," Steve replied, disappointed that it wasn't a date offer. "Uh, yeah, sure, that-that would be great. Thank you." He looked away, feeling shy, then glanced back at Bucky, still looking at him.

"Okay," Bucky said softly. "I can, like, give you a list of shows at class next week?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, great. Thanks." He shifted awkwardly on the spot, wishing he had the balls to just ask Bucky out, but...

He wasn't sure if that would be appropriate anyway.

Then the door to the studio opened, voices chattering as a couple students came in.

Bucky exhaled lightly. "That's the next class."

"Right," Steve said, and rushed to get his shit together. "Sorry, I'll just..." He decided it'd be easier to simply grab his stuff and take it outside. "Thanks, Bucky. I'll see you next week."

Steve hurried out of the room. He dumped his stuff outside in the hallway and started to put his socks and shoes on.

"Great job, Steve," he muttered under his breath.

Smooth, he was not.

He took a moment to close his eyes and calm down.

Just relax, he told himself. He couldn't ask out the instructor anyway, so he'd have to suck it up, that's all.

"Okay," he murmured, and decided it was time to go home.

He was just zipping up his hooded top when he heard a soft, "Steve?"

Steve turned to see Bucky standing there, dressed in sweats and sneakers now, with a bag on his shoulder. He looked like he was leaving, which surprised Steve because he'd assumed Bucky would be teaching the next class.

"Yeah?" he said, glancing at the door. "Did I leave something in there?"

"Oh, no." Bucky smiled, seeming shy. "I just wanted to mention... I'm going to ask Yelena if she can take you in her class next week instead of mine."

Steve felt floored. He knew he must've fucked up somehow. He swallowed before daring to ask, "How come?"

Bucky nibbled on his lower lip before answering. "Because I want to ask you out on a date, and I'm not really supposed to date my students."

"Oh," Steve said, floored again. "Wait, what? Really?"

Bucky smiled at him. "Have you got time for a coffee? Or, well... some decaffeinated hot beverage? There's a great little place a block away that does a good Chai latte."

"Yes," Steve blurted out, positively thrilled. "I'd love to."

"Great. Let's go." Bucky started walking, and Steve fell into step beside him.

"Just to be clear," Steve told him, "I wanted to ask you out too, but you beat me to it."

"Oh? Well, Steve," Bucky flashed him a wicked grin, "I am a gold medallist, remember. I tend to like being first."

Steve laughed, utterly charmed. "I'll bear that in mind." When they reached the door to the studio, Steve opened it and gestured to Bucky. "After you."

"Thank you so much," Bucky said, strutting through the door first. He sent Steve a flirty look over his shoulder that had Steve grinning like he'd won gold himself.

Out on the street, they walked side by side. "So, we really can't do another class together, huh?" Steve asked.

"Not at the studio, no. But don't worry." Bucky shot Steve a sly smile. "I have my own pole at home."

"Oh," Steve said, feeling a blush creep up his face, but it didn't stop him from admitting, "I'd kinda like to see that."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Bonus, later on their date:_
> 
>  
> 
> "So," Steve asked slyly, "is the pole in your bedroom?"  
> "No," Bucky said with a laugh, "because I kept walking into it half asleep, so it's now in my lounge. I have an awesome couch, though, so if you fall off there's a soft landing."  
> "Sounds perfect," Steve chuckled.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and (nice!) comments fuel me!
> 
> Here is a [rebloggable post for this fic on tumblr](https://jro616.tumblr.com/post/186047016635/pole-position-chapter-1-roe87-the-avengers).
> 
> I am on [tumblr](http://jro616.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/jro616).


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